Fire in Beetham landfill - PoS blanketed by smoke

It is believed that the harsh dry season heat led to several mounds of rubbish igniting at the landfill and with a strong wind, clouds of smoke covered the capital, at one time, making driving along the Beetham Highway a dangerous proposition owing to the significantly reduced visibility of motorists.

A release sent by the Solid Waste Management Company Limited (SWMCOL), stated that the fire ignited in a nearby swamp and quickly spread to the outskirts of the landfill. The blaze ignited as a bush fire in the swamp area at about 2 pm yesterday. Fire services were alerted, and a fire officers led by Acting sub officer Ramirez responded to the blaze.

Within an hour the the fire was contained, but the Fire Services, along with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management and the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) remained on standby for several hours in the event that areas of the landfill becoming re-ignited.

Up until press time the fire situation remained unchanged.

Officials from SWMCOL could not be reached for comment